I just want to take a moment to thank each of you for becoming friends of Bountiful Harvest Farm and Heritage Farmgirl.

When we stepped out on faith and started our farm, we had no idea where it would exactly take us.  We have been amazed at the people we have met and the connection that have been formed all across this beautiful country.  Let alone the world?  From the farmers getting chicks to grow in North Carolina, Rhode Island, Montana, Washington, Missouri and Oregon, to having Larry Kissell for a farm tour & lunch, to making a lasting friendship with Jonathan &  Joe with Chicks for Change project through The Forsaken Children's organization, to farm tours with pre-schools, county extension offices and other organizations, to Gary being asked to speak at the Organic Growers School and several other educational workshops and finally to the many many customers who have bought our chicken and turkey to put on their family table.  You see, we have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season.  Even in the shadows of losing our parents in August (Gary's Mom) and October (Kelly's Dad), we can still count our blessings because we would not be who we are without their influences on our lives.

We hope that each and everyone of you had a blessed Thanksgiving.  Remember to cherish those whom you have in your lives........just a little story we'd like to share.......

On the first day of class, a university professor stood in front of his philosophy class with an empty jar.
Without saying a word to his students, he removed the lid of the jar and filled it with golf balls. When no more golf bars fit he closed the jar with its lid. He then asked his class, “Would you say that the jar is now full?” His students observed the jar and concluded that the jar was indeed full.

The professor then proceeded to open the jar up and started inserting marbles into the jar. The marbles started to fill the gaps between the golf balls. After sealing the jar, he asked his class once again if they thought the jar was now full. The class concluded that the jar was indeed now full.

The professor opened the jar a third time and started pouring in sand. Obviously, the sand started filling the gaps between the golf balls and the marbles. He then sealed the jar and asked his class a third time if the jar was full. His class chuckled and replied in unison, “Yes, it is now full!”

The professor opened the jar and emptied two small cups of coffee in the jar. The liquid had completely filled the gap between the golf balls, the marbles, and the grains of sand. He then began his lecture.

“I hope you realize that life is very much like this jar. The golf balls represent the important things in life, like God, family, loved ones, health, things that you care intimately about. If we lost everything else in life, our lives would still be ‘full’. The marbles are the other things in our lives that are important, but our happiness shouldn’t depend on them. Things like our work, our house, our car, etc. Finally, the sand represents everything else; the small stuff.

“If we were to have filled our jar up with sand first, there we wouldn’t have had enough room for the marbles or the golf balls. If we use all our life and energy on the small stuff, we won’t have any room for the important things.”

After a brief moment of silence one of the students asked, “Professor, what does the coffee represent?”
“Ah, I’m glad you asked,” replied the professor.

 “It means that no matter how full your life is, there is always room for a cup of coffee with a friend.”

(Untitled to my knowledge, Author Unknown to me)

Blessings from our farm to you,
Gary & Kelly Sikes
Mekayla, Carson and Carrie

***Sorry that I have not been posting weekly.  
After the loss of my daddy in October, it has been hard for me to find the words to write.  Each time that I tried I would get off track and lost in the thoughts in my head.   I  would write for hours only to go back and delete everything I had just written.  Time does help.......for the month of December I'll be posting recipes and maybe a funny story or two.  After the first of the year, I'll go back to posting weekly on Wednesdays. 
Thanks for your patience during this difficult time in my life.

With coffee in hand,
Kelly
Heritage Farmgirl

Brine:   

• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 oranges, quartered
• 2 lemons, quartered
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 4 sprigs rosemary

 To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, plastic garbage bag.) Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary. Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.

**Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water.  Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Turkey Stock: (optional)

• 2 tablespoon butter
• Reserved turkey neck and heart
• 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped
• 1 small bay leaf
• 3 cups turkey stock, chicken stock, or canned low-salt chicken broth
• 3 cups water

Heat the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey neck and heart, to the pan and sauté until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour, adding the chopped liver to the pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup. Pull the meat off the neck, chop the neck meat and giblets, and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels both inside and out. Place turkey, breast side up, in a large, heavy roasting pan.

Roasting Turkey

•  unsalted butter at room temperature (use as much as needed to cover entire bird)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/8ths
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1/2 bunch sage
• 3 or 4 sprigs parsley
• 2 cups turkey stock or you may use canned chicken or turkey broth

Rub breast side with orange segments and rub on all sides with the butter, stuffing some butter underneath the skin. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, remaining orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string. Pour the turkey broth in the bottom of your pan so that it is about ½ inch deep covering the bottom of the pan.  Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side up.

 Heritage Roasting Times
Weight         325' Roasting Time

8-12              1¼ to 2¼ hours       
12-14           2¼ to 2¾ hours
14-16           2¾ to 3½ hours
16-18           3½ to 4 hours 
18-20           4 to 4½ hours
20-25           4½ to 5 hours
25-30           4½ to 6 hours  
  
  
Done 165 degrees in Thigh

Note: The USDA recommends turkeys be cooked to 160F-180F, but these temperature will dry out a heritage turkey. Heritage birds are much freer of disease and bacteria, unlike commercially raised birds, and do not need extreme temperatures to make them safe for consumption.

• Use a Thermometer when cooking a Turkey. When the Turkey reaches 165 in the Turkey's thigh, the Turkey is done.
• Oven Temperatures vary, so roasting times are approximate.
• Begin checking for doneness ½ to 1 hour before the end of the recommended roasting time. Place a tent foil loosely over turkey when the turns golden brown. Do not seal the foil around the pan.
• Leave tent cover over the Turkey.
• Let the Turkey rest about 30 minutes before carving to allow juices to well up in the meat. This helps preserve the meat juiciness.

Enjoy the wonderful Heritage Turkey with your family!